


Christmas Surprises

by FrozenSnares



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward, Christmas Eve, F/M, First Kiss, First Meetings, Kinda, Nudity, Tumblr Prompt, just a bit of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-08 21:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5514191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenSnares/pseuds/FrozenSnares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shireen Baratheon is spending her first Christmas in the North alone. She expects her day to be quite uneventful, but she's mistaken when things go wrong much earlier than she would ever expect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mygiantoflannister](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mygiantoflannister/gifts).



> Merry Christmas, everyone!! I hope you all have a lovely time. Enjoy this gift from me to you.
> 
> Prompt requested by [waterelemental](http://waterelemental.tumblr.com/) and [mygiantoflannisters](http://mygiantoflannisters.tumblr.com//). Thank you for fueling the Rickeen, guys.

It was late. All things considered, it was still ridiculously early on Christmas Eve, but old habits die hard, and Shireen was used to waking up much earlier for work every day. Grumbling, Shireen pulled herself out of bed. She didn’t have any real obligations today for her family’s celebrations. Her family was much bigger on Christmas Day than the eve, so she figured that she should at least put her consciousness to work.

It was extremely chilly in her apartment because who wants to pay for central heating when there’s tea? Cringing away from the cold floor, Shireen braced herself for the sprint to her kitchen. She mentally prepared a list of what she needed to do: put water in the kettle, turn the kettle on, and run back to bed. Grinding her teeth, Shireen squeezed her eyes shut before racing through the small apartment. She was happy enough to be on the ground floor, with no stairs, windows, or noticeable neighbors, but it was colder here than anywhere else.

 _Just part of living in the North,_ Shireen told herself. It was worth the job, though. After getting hired with the publishing company she’d been actively seeking out, she would have moved halfway across the world. She shrugged, pouring water into the kettle and putting it on. She didn’t even bother measuring. After all, she would probably have another cup later.

Rubbing her arms, Shireen decided to chance a look outside. Maybe, if the snow wasn’t so deep, she could run some errands today and bake before driving back to visit her family tomorrow. Pulling open the curtains, Shireen scowled at the snow. Turning around, Shireen looked to her clock. Six-thirty. Nothing was open right now, but Shireen wasn’t about to waste her time. She could get some work done, have her tea, and be well-accomplished before thinking about heading out for the day. Yes, today was going to be a productive day.

Smiling to herself, Shireen bounced back into her room, digging through her drawers for appropriately warm clothes. She tossed her things on the bed, making sure to grab socks, mittens, and a hat. Shireen stared down at her chosen outfit for a long time. Changing required taking off her pajamas. That meant being cold. Shireen did not want to start her day off being cold. Groaning, Shireen stripped as quickly as possible, hoping that suffering through it now would be better than dragging it out.

The kettle started whistling.

“Shit,” Shireen said to herself, struggling with the clasp of her bra. She managed it the best she could, shoving the straps over her shoulders before running into the kitchen. Turning off her kettle, Shireen rummaged through her cupboards for a mug and teabag, successfully locating them and preparing her tea. She put her hands on her hips, grinning to herself. Her greatest fear in living on her own had always been burning the place down, but she was smarter than that. Everything was fine. Shaking her hair back, Shireen jumped into the main living area. Though she meant to get back to her room, her happiness was too great. She spun about quickly, dancing a bit. Sighing, Shireen dragged a hand through her hair, piling it on top of her head.

That was too much of a scare for her this morning. Shireen felt extremely active now, wanting to get out and do things. It was still early, though, so she decided to continue on as planned. Turning slowly, Shireen looked back to the kitchen, checking on her tea before heading on. Unfortunately, she found that her curtains were still open from this morning. And someone was staring at her.

Shireen froze. She didn’t know how to proceed, or what she was supposed to do. Her brain was arguing with itself instead of acting. Should she run to her rooms and dress, pretend she hadn’t seen him? Go close the curtains, maybe? Shireen kept trying to reason it out to herself, even though she knew that she had to do _something_.

The moment lasted far too long. Even with the pane of glass between them, Shireen knew they were making direct eye contact. Even worse, she recognized him. Without fail, every morning, Shireen saw him jogging past with his massive black dog just as she was leaving to work. They even waved to each other on occasion. Sometimes he said hi. She usually said it back. Now, though, she was in her underwear and he was very obviously staring at her. Shireen didn’t even think he was looking at her face anymore. He was… _Was he checking her out?_

For some reason, she still couldn’t move. Shireen just watched as his dog walked around his legs a few times, trying to pull him forward on the run. A part of her prayed that the dog won. Anything to make this moment end. He slowly raised a hand, and Shireen thought it was supposed to be a wave. Slowly, she lifted a hand back. Then, his dog won out. At least, it was enough to break her stillness. The dog was wrapped tight enough around his legs that he went tumbling to the floor, and Shireen raced back to her rooms.

Suddenly, it was far too hot in her apartment. She felt like her entire body was on fire despite still being in her underwear. Shireen grabbed a pillow quickly, pressing it to her face and screaming into it. Snatching at her clothes, Shireen tried to sort them out in a reasonable manner. She just wanted to punch herself for forgetting about her curtains, or maybe actually burn the place down. Maybe, if she tried hard enough, she would actually disappear from the face of the planet. Working through her sweater, Shireen let out a heavy sigh. She could just find a new place to live. Anywhere else, really. 

Just as she was struggling to put her sweater over her head, the doorbell rang.

“Fuck,” Shireen said loudly. “Fuck, fuck, shit, fuck, fuck.” She bounced about her room quickly, hoping that it was anyone else but a certain boy with a certain dog. Well, she definitely had to come to terms that he probably wasn’t a boy. At least, she _hoped_ that he wasn’t a boy because that would be a thousand times more embarrassing.

The doorbell rang again. Groaning loudly, Shireen stomped back into her living room, pulling the front door open rather forcefully. “Can I help you?” she asked, hoping to break any awkward tension immediately.

“Um, I was just wondering if everything was alright,” he said slowly. At his side, his dog was on a short leash, but the animal was struggling to enter her apartment. “I mean, you’re usually leaving when I pass by…”

Shireen’s face flushed again. He definitely remembered her, and she would never live this down. What if they crashed into each other at the market? On the street somewhere? She just had to live with the fact that he knew what she looked like in her underwear? She didn’t even know his name. “No, I’m fine,” she said shortly. “Just a little out-of-it… No work today.”

“Right,” he said quickly. He took a step back just as his dog stepped forward. The changing momentum, threw him off again, and he fell flat on his bottom. He let go of the dog in the commotion, and the massive black animal leapt forward, sniffing at Shireen intently. It was only when his wet snout pressed against her leg that she remembered that she hadn’t finished changing. “Shit,” he swore. “Shaggydog! Back!”

The dog slowly obeyed, and the boy got to his feet slowly, rubbing at his hip. Filled with new worry, Shireen moved forward. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head, waving her off and trying to gather the leash. “Probably,” he said. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Shireen couldn’t stand watching him wince in pain as he rubbed at his hip. After all, it was almost entirely her fault now. “You should probably put some ice on that,” she told him.

He laughed, throwing his head back. “I should have stayed on the floor, huh?” he asked, smirking at her and gesturing to the snow scattered on the ground. 

Shireen didn’t look away, though, she was completely captured by his bright green eyes. “Um, there’s some in the freezer,” she offered. “And I’m making tea. Do you want to come in?”

Cocking his head to the side, his mouth dropped open. He closed it quickly, gathering himself. “Yeah, sure,” he said, stepping in slowly. Then, he paused in the doorway. “Should I leave Shaggydog outside? I know you probably don’t want—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shireen said, waving him off. She went to the kitchen, grabbing some ice from the freezer and preparing another cup of tea. Heading back into the living room, Shireen handed him the ice.

“Thanks,” he said. His eyes flickered down to her legs as he sat down on her couch. “Not that I’m complaining, but aren’t you cold?”

Again, Shireen was hit by a massive wave of embarrassment. She quickly excused herself, running back to her room and changing into her selected outfit for the day. Making sure that she was finally completely covered up, Shireen went back to the main room, organizing some of her stacks of books as she went. “So,” she said slowly, grabbing the other cup of tea and joining him, “you run every morning.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I just moved back in with my parents over here, and my dog really needs the exercise.”

“Why did you move back?” Shireen asked, sipping at her tea.

He grimaced, picking at his own mug. “My brother got in an accident,” he said. “It was a nasty car crash, and he couldn’t move his legs for a long time. My mom isn’t strong enough to help him around, and my dad still works, so I came back up to help them out.”

“Wait, a car crash?” Shireen asked. “Is… is your brother Bran Stark?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” he said. “I’m Rickon, by the way—Rickon Stark.”

Shireen giggled. “Shireen,” she said. “How’s your brother doing?”

“He spends more time worried about his dog,” Rickon said. “I take that one running in the evenings.”

“You must really like running,” Shireen teased, hoping to lessen any awkward tension in the room.

Rickon shrugged. “It’s fine,” he said, “but sometimes the view is even better.”

Shireen felt an overwhelming urge to apologize. She was well-aware that she wasn’t pretty, and she definitely wasn’t worth checking out unless it was seven in the morning. She opened for mouth, but Rickon waved her off prematurely.

“So how do you know Bran?” he asked, taking a deep drink from his tea.

“Oh, um,” Shireen glanced around. His dog was surprisingly well-behaved. She expected that the run had killed a lot of his energy because he was now lying down calmly beside the table. Clearing her throat, Shireen went back to her task at hand. “He, um… He came by with his boyfriend to stay hi when I first moved in. I work with Jojen.”

Rickon gave her an appreciative nod. “Books for you, too, then?”

Shireen rolled her eyes, glancing at the many stacks of books around her apartment. “You didn’t guess?” she asked.

“I try not to judge.” Rickon winked at her. “But I imagine that you don’t usually dance around your apartment in your underwear.”

There it was again. Shireen swallowed hard, trying to put it behind her. “Yeah, no,” she said quickly. “I’m usually on my way to work by now.”

Nodding again, Rickon took a large gulp of tea. “Christmas off, though,” he reminded her. “Any big plans?”

Shaking her head, Shireen hid behind her mug. “I was thinking about maybe baking,” she said. “But my family isn’t doing anything until dinner tomorrow, and it’s a long drive back down.”

Rickon’s eyebrows shot up in curiosity. “Where are you from?” he asked.

“Storm’s End,” Shireen responded. “Not sure if it’s worth the drive, though.”

“Well, if you want some early Christmas, my family’s big on celebrating going up to midnight,” Rickon told her. He obviously didn’t want to dig into her personal life any farther, and she appreciated that. “My sister’s probably making cookies for it already. We’re having a big dinner tonight. I’m sure we wouldn’t mind one more.”

“Oh, I couldn’t,” Shireen said, sitting back to distance herself from him.

Rickon shook his head. “No, seriously,” he said. “There are so many people home right now, no one will even question why you’re there. Don’t you want dinner? You have to eat, too.”

“I was gonna…” Shireen started feebly. She honestly hadn’t thought that far through. It was her first Christmas away from home. Where were her plans?

“Order out?” Rickon guessed. “Come on, Shir. My mom’s a great cook.”

Shireen was taken aback by the nickname. “What did you just call me?”

“I’m just saying,” Rickon went on loudly. “If you’re going to have a Northern Christmas, you might as well make it a good one.”

Shireen was shocked by his candor. Surely, he hadn’t meant to invite her over while out on his morning jog. His family would never be expecting her, and she couldn’t intrude. Rickon definitely seemed to think it was a good idea, though, and she really didn’t want to spend her Christmas Eve alone. “I should change, though,” she said. “Dress nice and stuff.”

“You look really nice,” Rickon told her. “Besides, we don’t get _that_ into it.”

“I’ll head over later, then?” Shireen asked, standing up and taking her mug to the kitchen. She busied herself washing up, trying to think about the breakfast and lunch she needed to have before dinner.

Light footsteps followed her in, and Rickon placed his mug on the counter beside her. “Tell you what,” Rickon said. “Just come back with me, and I’ll make you breakfast. Half my family’s probably still asleep, and I can show you around.”

Shireen turned to him slowly, narrowing her eyes. “And you swear you’re not trying to murder me or something?”

“Definitely not.” Rickon gave her a quick smile.

Agreeing, Shireen hurried back to her room. She quickly tossed off her clothes, pulling on a knitted dress and heavy boots before buttoning up a peacoat. Briefly, Shireen stared herself down in the mirror. She was well-aware of the gross skin covering half her face, and she thought about covering it up with makeup. Deciding that she wanted to be comfortable, she ignored it, heading back out the main room. She had to give herself some credit for being adventurous enough to visit a family she barely knew for Christmas, but Rickon really wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

It turned out that the Starks didn’t live that far from her. They were a grand total of three blocks away, putting them on the wealthier side of the neighborhood. Shireen was in awe at the house, but Rickon brushed her off again, pulling her inside as if he owned the place. He stripped out of his heavier clothes the second he got inside, letting his dog loose. Following him around, Shireen found that the house was completely silent, save for the dogs, of which there were five. They didn’t even make a commotion at her appearance, though, leaving her alone. Rickon led her into the kitchen, gesturing to a seat for her to have and starting up a pot of coffee.

As he promised, he made her breakfast, serving up a simple plate of bacon and eggs. Then, he ate with her at the island in the kitchen. Shireen was surprised that no one woke up yet considering the mess of cars outside. She thought that the house would be quite crowded. Refilling her juice, Rickon answered the unasked questions.

“Half of them are awake right now,” he said, wandering the kitchen and looking back out to the rooms were the dogs were sleeping. “They’re just trying to decide if the cold is worth coffee and bacon.”

“I’d think the bacon was worth it,” Shireen mused. She eased off her seat, going to join him in the doorway. “Honestly, I thought it’d be chaos in here the way you were talking about it.”

“Not yet,” Rickon promised. “Give them twenty more minutes to wake up. It shouldn’t be much longer after that.”

They stood together in the doorway for a long time, watching the dogs walk around the area and find things to chew on. Shireen thought that they were very well-behaved, and she wanted to go pet them. All of her thoughts scattered when someone spoke up behind them.

“How long have you been standing under that mistletoe?”

Shireen spun around quickly, nearly losing her balance. She caught sight of short girl about her age with wild, short hair. Shireen was certain that everyone was going to be in pajamas this early, and she almost fell over trying to sort through her thoughts. Rickon caught her, helping her stand straight and turning to the intruder. “Goddammit,” he said. “Did Sansa put these up everywhere?”

“Sansa also expects rules to be followed,” a sharp voice came from the other side.

Whipping around, Shireen turned to face a very pretty woman with shockingly bright orange hair. She looked a little stern, but mostly like she was playing a game. Turning back to Rickon, she realized that his hair was also slightly red. He looked massively annoyed. “Not happening, Sans,” he said shortly. “She’s our neighbor. I see her every day. We’re practically best friends.”

Shireen nodded in agreement, hoping that the ‘best friends’ card would get them off the obligation of mistletoe.

Sansa groaned, stomping past them into the kitchen. “Friends can kiss, too,” she insisted.

“That’s how Gendry and I started dating,” Arya pointed out, her mouth stuffed with bacon.

“Look, I’m not—” Rickon looked ready to argue with his sisters, but he faltered under the glares of the two women. He seemed to be reprimanding himself, but he deflated, biting his lip. Screwing his eyes shut, Rickon turned to Shireen. “Sorry, I just—they’re going to—Sorry.”

Quickly, he leaned in, pecking her on the cheek. Shireen froze in shock. For some reason, Rickon has chosen to kiss her ruined cheek—the one she didn’t even like to touch. He had somehow decided that he was going to put his mouth on the most disgusting part of her face. He drew away with a sheepish smile, looking ready to fight his sisters if they suggested he had to do it again. Shireen couldn’t stop staring at him, though. The thought that he would even consider doing something like that was pulling at her, and Shireen didn’t know why she found it so endearing.

Slowly, she tried to maintain her demeanor, following Rickon to be introduced to his sisters. But even as the rest of his family trickled out of their rooms, Shireen couldn’t stop thinking about Rickon. Maybe, just maybe, she’d have to believe that Christmas surprises really did happen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone asked for more.

Shireen caught herself under the mistletoe with Rickon no less than six times that day. Every time it happened, they both tried to talk their way out of anything, but the Starks scolded them into participating with the traditions. As a result, Rickon gave Shireen a kiss on the cheek, but Shireen suspected that something else was going on. His brothers were quite skilled at avoiding walkways that were decorated, but Rickon went straight up to her every time, asking if she wanted something to drink or offering to get her food. Shireen was starting to think that he felt responsible for her, and she waved him off, even though she never quite managed to stop thinking about him.

The Starks were extremely rooted in their Christmas Eve activities. Before lunch, they took all the dogs out on a walk. There were shared breakings of Christmas crackers. Classic Christmas films played on the television all day, and no one was allowed to open presents until midnight.

Being the person she is, Shireen offered to help in the kitchen whenever possible, cleaning up and helping bake and decorate cookies. Though Rickon's mom tried to get her to be with everyone else, Shireen found comfort in stepping away, but she soon learned that all the Starks were the same in their hospitality and generosity.

Arya loaned her a pair of snow pants for their walk. Sansa gave her a hat. Rickon wrapped her up in a scarf. Robb made cocoa for everyone afterwards. Bran kept giving her directions about the house. And Ned and Catelyn kept trying to feed her.

Shireen was shocked at the level of comfort they all had with her in the house, but when the significant others began to arrive, Shireen realized that they could handle a lot more. Family friends joined in the bunch as well, filling up the house and making everything hectic and wild in the hours leading up to midnight.

"Told you," Rickon whispered in her ear, leaning over to get closer to her.

Shireen glanced up, guessing correctly that they were under mistletoe once again. Rickon let out a small sigh, glancing over to catch his sister's glare before kissing Shireen on the cheek.

"I'm really bad at this," he apologized. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Shireen replied, brushing her hair behind her ear. "But you don't have to... you know." She gestured weakly to the mottled skin of her cheek.

Rickon rolled his eyes at her. "I'm not going to play stupid and pretend it's not there," Rickon said softly. "But it's nothing. Really. I mean... you're beautiful."

Shireen felt like all the air had been sucked from her body. She couldn't breathe properly, and it was possible that she was living in an alternate universe where everything was actually fine. It took her far too long to remember that Rickon had seen her in her underwear earlier that day and he was probably talking about that. Still, she let herself float on the feeling just a little while longer. After all, she was glad to finally be lost in a crowd that wasn't giving her odd looks.

Smiling to herself, Shireen watched Rickon respond to the summons of his mother, helping Bran closer to the tree for the final few minutes to midnight. Shireen followed him in, watching as everyone made a loose circle in the crowded room.

"Is there a tradition here, too?" Shireen asked, leaning over his shoulder.

Rickon nodded. "We all go in a circle and say something we're thankful for."

Shireen furrowed her brow. "Isn't that a Thanksgiving thing?"

"Probably," Rickon replied. "But we had to be thankful for what we already had before we got presents and the tradition stuck."

Nodding, Shireen watched as all the Stark family and friends slowly went around the circle and said what they were thankful for. Some were quick and simple, but others seemed to have essays prepared, gushing about family time. When it was Shireen's turn, she thanked everyone for accepting her on their busy day and making her fit in. Rickon followed her by being thankful for _Star Wars_ , but he also winked at her once the attention shifted from him.

Then, there was the mass chaos of gift exchanges and present opening. More than once, Shireen received apologies for not having gifts, but she replied with the honest truth that she hadn't gotten them anything either, and they had fed her. It was extremely fun to watch everyone else's excitement mount upon opening presents, and quite a few times, friends spent time laughing over getting each other the same presents. The dogs ran in and out of the room, tearing up bits of wrapping paper, and they were eventually moved in attempt to lighten the chaos.

By the time Shireen realized it was late and she needed to be up in a few hours to drive, the house was already settling down from the buzz of gifts. Trying to sneak away, Shireen made it to the front door before Rickon appeared at her shoulder.

"You're going to freeze if you walk back," he told her. "Let me drive you."

Shireen glanced out at the driveway. "I don't think you could get a car out of that if you tried."

"True," Rickon said, looking at the mess of cars. "Then, let me walk you. It's way too late for you to be walking alone."

"Alright," Shireen agreed. She let him bundle her up again, and he retrieved his dog for the walk.

They walked in mostly silence, knowing that opening their mouths would make everything colder. Shireen severely underestimated the cold, though, finding herself shaking and rubbing at her arms to keep them moving. Rickon noticed, though, and he put an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer to keep her warm. Her face flushed, overwhelmed by both his heat and proximity. Again, he seemed to have no boundaries where she was concerned, and Shireen wondered if he was like that with everyone. The walk was shorter than Shireen expected, and Shireen was unlocking her front door far sooner than she hoped.

"Well, um, thank you for today, er, yesterday," Shireen said, turning to look him in the eyes.

"No problem," Rickon said. "It's always crazy, but feel free to come around whenever. I know Jojen would appreciate your company."

"Just Jojen?" Shireen asked, no longer caring if she was being too forward. After all, if Rickon was lying about it, then she'd figure it out eventually.

Rickon gave her a sheepish smile. "Maybe not just Jojen," he admitted. "Have a safe drive tomorrow, er, today. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," Shireen responded stepping slightly into her apartment.

They stared at each other for a moment more until Rickon leaned in to kiss her cheek again. However, Shireen was tired of dancing around him all day, and she'd spent too much of that time staring at his mouth. Just before he made contact with her cheek, she turned, catching his lips on hers. She felt Rickon's eyelashes fluttering against her cheek, but she kept her eyes shut, not wanting to see his reaction or rejection. Pulling away quickly, Shireen muttered out another _Merry Christmas_ before closing the door. Belatedly she realized that Rickon said, "Did you just—"

Cursing herself, Shireen knew she had to live with the consequences. She had made an attempt at being bold and brave for once in her life, and from the sound of Rickon's response, it wasn't in her favor. Regardless of how much she was into him, he was just joking with her all those times earlier. Sighing, Shireen leaned back against the door, trying to collect herself.

The doorbell rang.

Her heart skipped a beat. Biting down on her lip, Shireen tried to reason her way out of this. That had been a clear violation of his choice to kiss her on the cheek, and he was probably mad about. Or, he wanted his scarf back. Shireen unwound it from her neck, hoping to make this the shortest interaction possible. She took a deep breath before opening the door with the scarf held out, an apology ready on her lips.

Before she could get a sound out, Rickon's lips were on hers, his hands—his bare hands—on her face, pulling her closer. Rickon walked into her, opening his mouth and deepening their kiss. His right hand stayed firmly on her left cheek, stroking over the ruined flesh of it, but his left hand went into her hair, combing it out and holding her firmly against him. Rickon was breathing deeply when he broke the kiss, and Shireen found that she didn't know how to breathe at all. He pressed his forehead against hers, and Shireen could feel his warm breath over her face.

"For the record," he breathed out, his eyes fluttering open to look at her, "if I'm going to kiss someone, I'm going to do it right."

Shireen was completely and utterly lost, starting into his eyes. His pupils were blown out, and she could only just make out the rim of green. As it was, her heart was pounding out of her chest, and any thoughts of her apartment being too cold vanished. She expected that she was about to combust. Her brain was being fillled with witty comebacks, but she was losing them just as quickly. She didn't know what to do next, only that she wanted another kiss. Slowly, she raised her hands between them, letting them slide under his jacket to feel the warmth of him. Rickon made a low sound in the back of his throat, and Shireen tilted her chin up to encourage him.

Rickon easily snared her once more, his mouth threatening to devour her whole. He seemed to be hungry for her, and Shireen thought she understood. Opening her mouth, Shireen slipped her tongue into his. Immediately, he slowed down, bringing his tongue to meet hers and slide into her mouth as well. Rickon hummed a deep sound in the back of his throat, and Shireen dug her fingers into his shirt to pull him closer. Rickon's hands slid down to her waist, sitting on her hips as he kissed her gently. Shireen would have thought him insincere if it wasn't for the intensity that was beating through her at the kiss. It took a long time for them to stop, and Shireen couldn't stop smiling at him, earning a few quick kisses from him.

"I've also wanted to do that all day," Rickon admitted. He was still breathing heavily, and Shireen was sure that she matched him.

"Maybe we could do it again sometime," she suggested, swirling her fingers over his chest.

Rickon's grip tightened on her hips. "I'd like that," he said. "How about I give you my number and we can make that happen?"

"This isn't just some Christmas loneliness talking, right?" Shireen asked before she could stop herself. The fear of rejection was back in full force, and Shireen felt suddenly shy about trying to jump on him after he showed the slightest bit of interest.

Rickon scoffed, leaning in to kiss her again. "Did you really think I ran past this place every day just so I could hook up with you on Christmas?" he asked. "Because we can wait to do this later, but I'd really prefer to just ask you out now."

"Then, do it," Shireen said, spiked through with a new wave of confidence.

The resulting grin was worth it. Rickon looked like he had just won the world's greatest prize, and it was _her_. "I'd like to buy you dinner," he said evenly. "Right now, if possible, but I can also wait until Boxing Day. I mean, I know you have plans for tomorrow, er, today."

"I can cancel," Shireen blurted out, no longer thinking through anything she was saying.

Rickon laughed, pulling her into a tight hug. "You really shouldn't," he said. "But if you want some company for the road, you know where to find me."

He kissed her again, just as easily as the first few times, but with an extra level of care spiked through it. Shireen felt herself melting in his arms, and she felt like she was suddenly the main character in a Christmas love story. She swallowed hard, nodding and pulling out her phone for him. With a smile, Rickon dialed a number, making his own phone start ringing. He kissed her as he handed the phone back, dragging it out as he stepped away.

"Merry Christmas, Shireen," he mumbled. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rickon," she murmured back, watching him walk away slowly before breaking out into a run and shouting happy exclamations into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas, everyone!! I love you! <3


End file.
